A Tempo
by FinalFantasyHearts-Rinsaito
Summary: It takes a long time to fall in love, to develop and turn it from something conditioned to something true. Over the years Robin and Marian did just that, because from the day she was born to the day she died Robin and Marian were forced together.


A Tempo 

Prologue - When We Were Young

It takes a long time to fall in love, and even longer to stay together. In time, after years apart, because it couldn't work, can that all change? Robin and Marian grew up together, from when they first met, to the day she died they were going to be together - they promised one another.

When Marian was born, her family were the happiest in the village of Locksley. Everyone knew the Sheriff and his wife, and the addition of young Marian had everyone smiling for days. The son, Peter, watched as many swooned over his little sister and felt the proudest of older brothers - his sister would be the most talked about girl the village had ever seen. He was seven at the time, a large age gap in the opinion of many. And, yet, his mother was still as happy and healthy as she had ever been.

The first time anyone saw her, Peter stood by his mother's bedside with his father and greeted the friend of his father with a triumphant grin. He ruffled the hair of the youngster affectionately, and let his son move from behind him to greet the elder boy.

Peter looked down on the small boy with a friendship founded since the boy's birth. Robin of Locksley blinked up at Peter and smiled. He was only four years old at the time.

"I'm a big brother now." Peter told Robin proudly.

Robin nodded, "You said you'd be my brother though!"

Peter smiled, "But, I have a little sister now. I have to look after her."

"I'll help!" four-year-old Robin promised, raising a small hand in agreement.

"Of course you will, you can be my knight."

Robin grinned, "You'll be the Sheriff one day, won't you?"

Peter nodded, "Yes, and when I am, you'll be at my side as my knight."

"And I'll protect your sister from the bad people."

"You'll protect Marian." he agreed.

"I promise." Robin declared.

Peter smiled at his friend, though three years younger he was, and small - he could see the intelligence burning brightly in the glass-green eyes, and the strength that came from within. Even though Peter too was young then, he knew Robin would do all he could to protect his new-born sister.

Robin's father turned to him, taking the boy by the hand and leading him around the bed to the mother's side. She held the child in a bundle of blankets, and lowered the baby girl so that Robin could see her.

"This is Marian, Robin." the sheriff told him, smiling.

"One day you'll marry her." Robin's father told him affectionately, watching as his son gazed in awe at the tiny features of the child.

"But, I'll be Peter's knight - protecting her," he explained.

"You can protect her in many ways." her mother told him.

Robin looked once more to the girl, and he nodded.

"I know."

Ten Years Later

When Marian was ten, she attended her first funeral. She was a tall girl, with long, shoulder length dark brown hair. Her eyes held a sharp defiance to any whom challenged her, and she hated to dress as a young lady. Preferring instead, to run around with her brother and his friends in the fields, or to climb trees. However, that day she was dressed in a floor length black dress, her hair was up and she looked like the daughter of a Sheriff - as she should.

A boy, with short, light brown hair, and the brightest green eyes stood at the graveside. He was tall and thin, his shoulder's hunched as he tried to shut out the other people around him. Dressed well for the occasion, he seemed to stand out even more than normal. His well defined features for once being forcibly cleared of mud from playing. His brow was furrowed, being the only thing about the face which would make someone hesitate, the rest was clear and well-defined, a prefect cupid bow sitting above his lower lip, and fiercely constructed cheekbones angling his jaw. Marian watched as perfectly crafted tears slide down his face, as he looked down to the overturned Earth.

He didn't look up when she carefully slide her pale hand into his and squeezed comfortingly. She could feel the sobs shudder through him, silent though they were, and he shook slightly. He was scared, and she knew it, he had needed her support more than anything, and she was glad of it.

Once the service was over, the pair stayed beside the bed of dirt for several minutes, before he could bare to rip his gaze from it.

"Thank-you, Marian."

She smiled, "You protect me enough, it was my turn."

"It's my job." Robin told her seriously.

"We'll always be here for one another, it doesn't matter who's protecting whom, anymore than it matters that you can't marry for love."

He closed his eyes, wiping away the remnants of tears. "I thought you could."

But, at the time, neither of them understood the true weight behind those words - too young were they to fully understand that some things just didn't change, no matter how they should, or you wanted them to. They always remained, in the back of one's mind, heart, soul. Branded with a mark which could not be healed, but, one that many wished for - those that truly realised that was.

"Goodbye, Father." Robin sighed, dropping a hand full of earth onto the already large mound. Marian squeezed his hand once again and then moved forward to the grave. Kneeling to it, she placed a bouquet of brilliantly coloured, sweet smelling flowers at the head of the earthen strip scaring the ground. She said her own goodbye to Robin's father, and then she turned back to him. Robin gave her his hand to help her up and they walked back to the manor together for the wake.

"I'll always be here for you, Robin. You know that, right?" she asked him softly as they walked.

Robin looked down at her with curiosity and nodded, "Yes. But, why?"

"Because I love you."

"And I you. We're like siblings."

"We are indeed.," she chuckled. "and, siblings - we stick together."

Robin smiled for the first time since his father's body had been brought back from battle and nodded, "I'll bare that in mind."

Peter walked out of the manor to meet them, smiling sadly and embraced his friend.

"Looking after my sister, as always, dear friend?"

Robin shook his head, still gripping her pale hand in his. "No, she's doing the hard work this time."


End file.
